Volunteer Vacancies - February 2018

Special & Themed Family Events

We’d love to have groups of friends get involved in our hugely popular family events: Santa Specials, Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, the 1940s Wartime Weekend – you name it, this is your chance to get together and have great fun putting smiles on the faces of children of all ages!

Beautifully Restored 1937 Teak Buffet Car

We need volunteer catering staff to give this stunning 1937 LNER Buffet Car a whole new lease of life. Volunteers are needed for Saturdays and Sundays.

Please contact a member of the Volunteer Support Team at volunteers@gcrailway.co.uk or by telephone on 01509 633853 for details.

Steam Locomotive Operations – Cleaners > Firemen > Drivers

Applicants will require good health and eyesight (including colour vision) and will start as a locomotive cleaner with additional general yard duties.

Having completed a minimum of 50 turns as a cleaner and gained an understanding about the working parts of steam locomotives, cleaners of suitable ability can apply to train as a fireman. Formal training is intensive and consists of classroom and practical training with both practical and written examinations. It is normal for a competent trainee to serve for at least two years, often longer, before being promoted from cleaner to fireman.

After completing a significant number of firing turns (a process which may take several years) firemen can apply to take the next step in training and exams to be promoted to “passed fireman” with a further pre-determined number of driving turns before being examined for possible promotion to driver.

Please contact a member of the Volunteer Support Team at volunteers@gcrailway.co.uk or by telephone on 01509 633853 for details.

Platform Staff – All Stations

Platform staff are required at weekends and /or to cover mid-week trains. A warm welcome from you will ensure a great start to our visitors’ experience.

As a platform porter you may be one of the first members of the railway staff that passengers get into conversation with when they visit the GCR. You need to be confident in dealing with members of the public and take responsibility, along with more senior platform staff, for ensuring the safety of our visitors. Responsibilities also include keeping the platform and facilities neat and tidy and helping passengers on and off trains. This is a uniformed and disciplined role and training will be provided in bringing on board new trainees.

Other, non-uniform roles are available too. Please ask!

Please contact a member of the Volunteer Support Team at volunteers@gcrailway.co.uk or by telephone on 01509 633853. Alternatively, talk to the Station Master on duty if you are visiting one of the stations.

These are just a few of the many volunteering opportunities available on the Great Central Railway. Please contact the Volunteer Support Team for more details.

The Volunteer Support Team can be contacted by email at volunteers@gcrailway.co.uk or by telephone on 01509 633853. If you would like to come into Lovatt House to speak with a member of the team please telephone in advance to make an appointment - the office is usually open on weekdays but at weekends prior notice is essential.

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE NATURE OF OUR RAILWAY OPERATIONS MEANS THAT IT IS RARELY POSSIBLE TO OFFER SHORT FIXED-TERM VOLUNTARY POSTS. THE MAJORITY OF OUR VOLUNTEERS COMMIT TO A LONG-TERM REGULAR WEEKDAY OR WEEKEND ROLE WHICH ENABLES US TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY TRAINING AND SUPERVISION. REGRETTABLY AT PRESENT IT IS DIFFICULT TO ACCOMMODATE OFFERS OF SHORT TERM WORK (E.g., ONE WEEK OR MONTH).

Our next running day

One steam locomotive and our Diesel Railcar in action this Wednesday.

Make a donation

To make a donation to our supporting charity click the Donate button below

Main Line Xtra

If you are a Friend of the Great Central Railway, you can access Main Line Xtra which provides additional news, special offers and features. To access Main Line Xtra click here